Punjab CM's cousin Gian Singh Mann joins BJP, says AAP has drifted from its policies
Chandigarh (PTI): Gian Singh Mann, the cousin of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, on Monday joined the BJP, targeting the AAP government over corruption, which he alleged has "doubled" and other issues, including the menace of drugs and unemployment.
Lashing out at the Arvind Kejriwal-led outfit, Gian Singh Mann alleged that the AAP has "drifted away" from its policies and also alleged that the leaders from Delhi were calling the shots in Punjab.
Gian Singh Mann, who hails from Satoj village in Sangrur district, is the son of the younger brother of Chief Minister Mann's father. His mother and that of his cousin are sisters.
He joined the BJP in a ceremony attended by Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Punjab BJP Chief Sunil Jakhar, who welcomed him into the party at the Punjab BJP headquarters here.
"We welcome Gian Singh Mann to the BJP," Saini announced to the media.
The Punjab Assembly elections are scheduled for early next year. Previously, Gian Singh Mann had been an active supporter of the AAP and campaigned for the party during the 2022 assembly elections. However, he later became a vocal critic of the Mann government, specifically criticising the land pooling policy last year.
Speaking to the media after joining the BJP, Gian Singh Mann said he had initially joined the AAP in 2014 because he was impressed by Arvind Kejriwal's vision. He noted that Mann had been elected MP from Sangrur twice before becoming chief minister.
However, he lamented that after AAP formed the government in 2022, it shifted from being the "Aam Aadmi Party" to the "Khas Aadmi Party."
Mann criticised the AAP for neglecting party volunteers when distributing tickets for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections, claiming the party has "completely forgotten" about Punjab.
He condemned the functioning of the AAP government, alleging that drugs have infiltrated every corner of the state and that corruption has "doubled."
He recounted how party volunteers used to reach out to him for assistance with issues in the tehsil offices and police stations. Furthermore, he accused the state government of failing to address unemployment.
Slamming Kejriwal's promise of mobilising Rs 20,000 crore every year from sand mining in the state, Mann asked, "Where has this Rs 20,000 crore per annum gone over the past four years? Kejriwal himself should answer to the people."
Reflecting on his decision, he stated, "After witnessing the condition of Punjab due to AAP's governance, I am quitting the party." He stated that he had joined the AAP for the welfare of Punjab but noted, "The entire state knows the kind of situation AAP has created."
Mann alleged that leaders who lost the Delhi Assembly elections are the ones running the AAP government in Punjab, and he claimed that only the BJP could save the state. "The BJP has consistently won elections across the country; there must be something good about it," he stated.
He also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, claiming that the country is making significant progress on the global stage.
When asked if he ever sought a position within the AAP earlier, Mann replied that family members and relatives of ministers and the chief minister should not hold government positions or interfere in governmental matters.
In response to Mann's defection to the BJP, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia said in a post on X, "When even your own family members start leaving, understand that something is seriously wrong!"
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Trump arrives in China for talks with Xi
Beijing (PTI): US President Donald Trump arrived in China on Wednesday for a three-day state visit during which he will discuss a host of global issues, including the Iran war, with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trump, who is visiting China at the invitation of President Xi, was received by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng at the airport.
The leaders of the world's two largest economies will hold their seventh face-to-face talks. They last met face-to-face in October 2025 in Busan, South Korea.
The US President arrived in China on his second visit in nine years to clinch a trade deal, to end the frictions over tariffs that affected its over USD 525 billion exports to the US.
Trump, who is accompanied by top CEOs, was the last US president to visit China in 2017, during his first term.
President Trump would have a bilateral meeting with Xi on Thursday, US Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said on Sunday.
The two leaders will meet again on Friday for a bilateral tea and working lunch, she said, adding that the US plans to host the Chinese leader for a reciprocal visit later this year.
Ahead of Trump's arrival, Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and Scott Bessent completed the final round of trade negotiations in South Korea, details of which are not known.
The talks focused on trade and tariffs, Artificial Intelligence and technology, Taiwan and US' arms sales to Taipei, Iran and West Asia security and rare earths and supply chains.
Trump's schedule included a visit to the Temple of Heaven, a complex of imperial temples where emperors would pray for a good harvest.
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Ahead of his departure for Beijing, Trump told the media in Washington he would be talking with Xi about trade more than anything else.
He plans to sign more deals with China to buy more American food and aircraft. The two countries also plan to set up a Board of Trade with China to address differences between the countries.
From a trade point of view, China looks to reap a rich harvest as Trump is accompanied by top CEOs of US multinational giants, including Tesla chief Elon Musk and Apple CEO Tim Cook, who have well-entrenched business in China.
Apple has regained the top spot in China's competitive smartphone market as of early 2026, driven by a 28 per cent surge in iPhone shipments.
In April, Tesla's China-made vehicle sales (including exports) reached 79,478, a 36 per cent year-over-year increase, signalling a production rebound.
The top US business leaders will be allowed to mingle with their Chinese counterparts at an exclusive international business club, according to Chinese officials.
The global focus on the summit, however, would be on any possible outcome that could end the US-Israeli-Iran war and end the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Ahead of Trump's visit, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made his first visit to Beijing after the war and held talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.
The US watched his visit closely as China is the largest importer of Iranian oil and shares strategic defence ties with Tehran, and has considerable influence over Iran.
After talks with Araghchi, Wang called on Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible, even as it appreciated Tehran's commitment not to develop nuclear weapons, a prime demand of Trump to end the war.
Commenting on Wang-Araghchi talks, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, "I hope the Chinese tell him what he needs to be told. And that is what you are doing in the Strait, which is causing you to be globally isolated. You're the bad guy in this."
China's anxieties over the Gulf war increased, especially after Trump imposed a blockade of Iranian ports, restricting Iran's oil exports to China.
Bert Hoffman, former World Bank country director for China, said China wants the Iran war to end because it has many partners in the region, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait. "So they don't like to see wars, they like to have stability," he said.
In its editorial on Trump's visit, state-run Global Times said Xi has held multiple telephone conversations and meetings with him, which have helped correct the course of the bilateral relationship and steer it clear of hidden dangers at critical moments.
For China-US relations to truly stabilise and improve in the future, the most fundamental step is to fully and faithfully implement the important consensus reached by both leaders, it said.
From China's point of view, the Taiwan issue was expected to figure prominently in the talks.
Last week, China's Foreign Minister Wang told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during their telephone talks, that the US should make the right choice about the self-ruled Taiwan.
China claims Taiwan as part of its own and has been ramping up military pressure on the island with periodic military drills around the island.
VIDEO | Beijing: US President Donald Trump arrives in China for high stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 13, 2026
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